Haven't seen the finale yet, but from what I've read here, I'm suddenly reminded of the book Harvest of Time, where the Third Doctor stumbles across a ship filled with different, time-stasised versions of the Master. I'll have to read it again, but the Delgado Master seemed to view the situation as "Oh, good. Lots more of me to go around." Whereas his future versions weren't nearly as thrilled about it.

Or bouncing to The End of Time, I kind of got the impression that as long as the Master Cult had some goop and a willing(or unwilling) dupe, they could bring him back, though I was never sure if he was really back to being a full Time Lord. That's where I thought Missy came from, to be honest. The goop didn't regenerate the woman's body he took over into a man, so the Master just changed his/her name to the Mistress, and went about doing what he'd been doing right along.

As for the new Doctor.... I don't know, really. At the moment, all I can think of is the end to Curse of the Fatal Death. Is she a good actress? Can she make the role her own? Are they preparing to burn Chibnall in effigy before we see what he's got planned?

As a professional tanuki (I'm a Japanese mythological animal, and a good luck charm), I have an alarm clock built into me somewhere. I also look like a stuffed animal. And you thought your life was tough......

Never seen Whittaker in anything, which is pleasing as it creates the same situation I was in with Matt Smith: No preconceptions.

Though to date I don't think the casting of the Doctor has made a wrong step so far in the new series (even if Eccles isn't a favourite of mine, he was absolutely the right guy for the role at that time), so I'm not too worried on that score. The writing on the other hand...

Still, it's a good opening statement of intent from Chibbers that the show isn't going to retreat into playing it safe RTD lite stuff as I was expecting it to.

As for the casting of a woman, all for it and there's absolutely no reason not to do it. Even before the Moff started laying the pipe from almost his very first line as producer ("I'm a girl?"), the logic of regeneration is such nonsense at the service of the plot there's nothing you can't do with it. Audiences accepted regeneration energy zapping a clone of the Doctor's hand and making a human copy of him they'll be fine with this.

Not to sure what's so bad if this casting is designed to appeal to a demographic when that demographic would be women, or half of all people. There's a tendency from people who don't like the choice to paint it as only appealing to a small niche of PC gone mad SJW's when it's going to mean something to a lot more folk than that.

I mean, Twitter was full of women crying with joy at this. You'd have not gotten anything like that sort of reaction from another white bloke.

I love that finale to Season 4, silly growing an extra Doctor and all I've seen bits of Broadchurch with Whittaker in, and she's a fine actor, so will be great. It will, of course, stand and fall on the writing.

I was never convinced that Missy was the same character played by Roger Delgado, Peter Pratt and Anthony Ainley. Similarly, I'm going to have a really hard time seeing Whittaker as the same character played by Capaldi, Davison and Hartnell. It's just a bridge too far for me.

Tangent; they're playing up the "don't want to regenerate" angle these days aren't they?

edit:

Quote:

Originally Posted by inflatable dalek

Audiences accepted regeneration energy zapping a clone of the Doctor's hand and making a human copy of him

Which ones were these then? Got the impression the Tylers were wearing thin by that point -- like most companions reactions tend to turn after a while, although Martha got it the worst. Did like the lampshading of dumping it into another universe, although with having since gotten heavy handed reasons why going back to Rory/Amy and others isn't an option, that's become business as usual.

I was never convinced that Missy was the same character played by Roger Delgado, Peter Pratt and Anthony Ainley. Similarly, I'm going to have a really hard time seeing Whittaker as the same character played by Capaldi, Davison and Hartnell. It's just a bridge too far for me.

We're supposed to believe that this is the same person played by different actors. I think that despite all the differences in the actors playing the Master or the Doctor, there was at least the consistency that he was a male British actor that has run through them all that at least offered me something that was the same every time, some tiny straw to grasp. Regeneration is a concept that requires a pretty heft suspension of disbelief as it is, and I think it's finally been stretched to the breaking point.

I tried with Missy. It's not as though we haven't had her as a dry run for a female Doctor. We're not going into this blind. Missy is meant to be the same character that we last saw played by John Simms and Derek Jacobi, but I have never perceived her as "the Master". She's always seemed like someone different and separate. The change just doesn't work for me, and I doubt the Doctor will be any different.

Think there's some of Delgado and Ainley in Gomez's performance. Didn't particularly like Simms as he was like a mirror universe Simon Pegg at times.

I've been watching a start to finish Who marathon for a few years now, and I'm currently watching Tennant's second season with the three parter that brought back the Master. I like Simms more than I did the first time around. He has a bit of Ainley's madness turned up to hyperactive levels, but he doesn't really seem to be drawing on any past performances, just playing the part as written. I think Davies just decided, along with other modern writers, that the Master's sole defining characteristic is that he's insane, which I maintain Delgado's version never was. I think Ainley's version might well have been, after all he'd done to himself. I thought Eric Roberts did a better job and was closer to Delgado than anyone else has managed, but I suspect I'm in the minority in liking his performance.

I'll have to watch Gomez again and see what I think this time when I get to Capaldi's episodes. I know they were going for a Pertwee/Delgado "former friends" vibe with her and Capaldi, but she's so silly half the time, and I don't see any of Delgado's suaveness or affability in her performance. And to be bluntly honest, I just don't see him turning into her down the line. Changing the character into a woman really disconnects them.

The Pertwee era's tendency towards ridiculousness is one of things I like most about it, TBH. Take that and blend it with a bit of mad and homicidal and that's what I find myself recognising.

And the Master isn't particularly fussy about surviving in a non-humanoid form. It's fitting that the incarnation that kills (as far as he knows) his future self is Simms, who represents a point at which madness was basically all there was to the character -- although I assume he's got some sort of contingency, like a time-looped copy or clone or something. (I suspect we'll see the Master back as a bloke versus the new Doctor).

Having grown up with harder science fiction such as Iain M Banks in which elective reconfiguration of biology is a thing (and it's the exception that Culture citizens stick with a body or gender for most of their existence, and uploading or transitioning into other forms of life -- including whole civilisations opting to leave the matter universe behind -- is very common) I guess I just see this as considerably more likely than time travel.

If anything, at this point I find my biggest point of contention with casting a woman in the role isn't because of the genderswap or the implications it might have, but it's effect on the fandom.

I'm honestly sick and tired of hearing about social politics all the time, and now I have one less thing I'm a fan of where that's not an issue. I've already had to block two people (not here, fortunately) for hurling insults at me because, hey, I don't like it so I must be a misogynist.

You know I'm actually excited to see the next season of Dr. Who. I love the idea of a female Doctor and I think it will bring a much needed breath of fresh air and also much needed new perspective on the Doctor. I can't wait to see what Jodie Whittaker does with the role.

It takes a lot to get me excited about a TV show now of days, which meaning I'm planning on how I'm going to scrape up the money to buy a season pass on XBL and/or PSN. Or do I wait for it to be on Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Blu-Ray?
Oh decisions, decisions, decisions.

Right now the only other shows that I do that are the CW/DCU TV shows Supergirl, Arrow, The Flash and DC's Legends of Tomorrow these are the only other shows that I actually can't wait to see new seasons.

Working through my season 10 boxset (signed my Pearl Mackie, who is adorable) as we head towards Christmas, I'd forgotten how strongly the year started. Shame it all goes wrong around the time of that pyramid story...

Loving the excellent fan trolling of the photos of the recreated Hartnell Tardis for the special where the wall that was just a photograph of a packet of paracetamol has been replaced by new series style hexagonal roundels.

The more clips I'm seeing the more I'm liking Bradley, very much feels like he's playing the First Doctor rather than trying to be William Hartnell Playing the First Doctor, which is how most of the other attempts to recreate the role in different media come across as.

Shame we're apparently getting an explanation as to why the First Doctor looks different though, New Who's inability to just recast/reuse actors (except for when they replaced Clara's dad oddly) without getting all meta is one of its oddest qualities.

Well since no one else has talked about it yet I guess I will. I saw the Doctor Who 2017 Christmas Special and I have to say it was a damn good ending to Calpadi's tenure as the Doctor and to the Moffat era as well.
Spoilers ahead.

The Good:

SPOILER! (select to read)The idea of the first Doctor not wanting to regenerate because he's afraid and the 12th Doctor not wanting to regenerate because he wants peace was a neat idea.

The WWI Captain played Mark Gatiss being an ancestor to the Lethbridge-Stewart family while a bit of fanservice was done well.

The first Doctor walking on to the 12th Doctor's TARDIS was really funny.

Bill's return to and interaction with the first Doctor and the Captain with the 12th Doctor running interference and trying to get the first Doctor to dial down the sexism was funny and really well done.

The cameos by Clara and Nardole were really sweet and funny as was the Doctor getting his memories of Clara restored.

The Testimony not being "evil" was a great twist.

Bill asking the first Doctor what he is running too was a great spin and his answer was quite profound.

The return of Rusty the good Dalek was cool.

Peter Calpadi's final speech was great and gives the 13th Doctor some great advice before regenerating and there is a great cliffhanger for the 13th Doctor.

The Bad:

SPOILER! (select to read)You would think the Doctor would park the TARDIS somewhere before regenerating and blowing up the TARDIS again! I get why it's done but still it's a bit much.

I wished they would have given the 13th Doctor some more dialogue both Matt Smith and Peter Calpadi got a more than one or two words. All she says is "Oh Brilliant!"

Not a lot of Christmas stuff except at the end which makes sense in a way but like last year the Christmas element is more of plot point then anything.

Overall small problems aside it is a great ending to the 12th Doctor and
I enjoyed it a lot and I'm really looking forward to the adventures of the 13th Doctor.

SPOILER! (select to read)Personally I just liked the whole twist of there being no diabolical plan of any kind at all. Although what bothered me was that they made it pretty explicit the Captain was going to die, since the Testimony was supposed to return him to the moment of death, except then they did and he proceeded to not die. I like happy endings at all, but that was kind of misleading if not an outright plot hole.

Also I thought the first doctor being sexist was really stupid. That was never one of his character traits. If anything, he was condescending towards everybody!

After being really unsure about the Doctor being a lady, I was won over straight away by Whittaker - that look she had that something feels different and then looking to see her reflection and grinning "Oh Brilliant!".

Blowing up the TARDIS whilst regenerating does seem a very foolhardy thing to do - I got Tenth doing it to spite whoever came after him after his carrying on about regenerating to Wilf, but here...I didn't see the need. Maybe its something to do with the psychic link the Docotr has with the TARDIS or something something.

I'm not a big fan of cameos like the ones here honestly, which felt a bit indulgent, and felt Bill's return rather undid her exit ...but I did like The Testimony, that was a cool concept. Basically preserving people - memories makes us, after all.

David Bradley was ace, but I was a bit disappointed that the show pointed out that he looks different - that was unnecessary, and how would they explain Ben and Polly looking different?!